Why Right Turns on Red Are Bad for Traffic Safety

A December report from the Mineta Transportation Institute offers new evidence that allowing drivers to turn right on red lights makes roads more dangerous for pedestrians and people on bikes, reports Dan Zukowski in Smart Cities Dive.

Zukowski explains, “The study noted that ‘most drivers do not come to a complete stop and instead roll through’ the red light, creating a safety hazard for pedestrians in the crosswalk.” 

The practice dates back to the 1970s, when a federal law permitted the practice as a fuel-saving measure during that era’s gas crisis. Throughout the United States, most cities allow turning right on red except where otherwise noted. But intersections with right turns on red see higher rates of collisions, while “The MTI research, quoting an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study, noted that the odds of pedestrians dying were 89% greater in a right-turn collision involving pickup trucks and 63% greater with SUVs.”

As electric vehicles, which are heavier and accelerate at a faster rate than combustion-engine cars, become more common, the study concludes that banning right turns on red could be a key element in reducing traffic deaths and injuries.